GOOD-BYE, MR. CHIPS.
London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1934.
1st Edition. Hardcover. First Edition. 8vo., 127pp. A near fine or better copy in bright blue gilt lettered boards in a very good dustwrapper showing modest use; neat bookplate to front pastedown, wrapper with a few tiny chips & a 3/4" loss to the spine crown. Basis for two films: the 1939 version directed by Sam Wood with Robert Donat who beat out Clark Gable, Henry Fonda & others for the Best Actor Oscar & the 1969 Herbert Ross directed re-do with Peter O'Toole, Petula Clark & Michael Redgrave. Faults notwithstanding a nice copy of Hilton's most famous title, an honour shared with his Classic 'Lost Horizon'. Hilton was born in Lancashire, England in 1900; son of John Hilton, headmaster of Chapel End School in Walthamstow. His father was one of the inspirations for the character of Mr. Chipping in the novel. Hilton was born on Wilkinson Street in Leigh & there is a teacher in Goodbye, Mr. Chips called Mr. Wilkinson. The setting too is believed to have been based on the Leys School, Cambridge, where James Hilton was a pupil. Chipping is also likely to have been based on W. H. Balgarnie, one of the school's masters who was in charge of the Leys Fortnightly, where Hilton's first short stories & essays were published.
Item #33374 Price: US$475.00